Focus on an unusual rise in pancreatic cancer incidence in France.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal. Most countries have exhibited a stable or decreasing incidence over time. The aim of this study was to provide updated French temporal trends in pancreatic cancer incidence and mortality over the past three decades.

Methods: Incidence was estimated using the French National Network of Cancer Registries (FRANCIM) and mortality using the French Mortality Statistics Office. World age-standardized incidence and mortality were modelled by age-period-cohort models. The net cumulative risk of developing pancreatic cancer by birth cohort was calculated, as were annual percentage changes (APCs) in incidence and mortality.

Results: Between 1982 and 2012, age-standardized incidence increased from 4.8 in 1980 to 9.6 per 100 000 in men and from 2.3 to 6.8 in women. The mean APC was 2.3% (2.1-2.6) and 3.6% (3.3-3.9), respectively. The cumulative risk of developing pancreatic cancer before age 75 rose from 0.62% for males born around 1920 to 1.17% for those born around 1950. It was respectively 0.31% and 0.86% for women. Mortality did not vary in men (8.1 per 100 000). It slightly increased in women from 4.0 in 1982 to 5.4 in 2012.

Conclusion: Pancreatic cancer incidence and mortality exhibited diverging trends. Incidence increased over the last 30 years in France whereas mortality did not vary in men and moderately increased in women. Incidence remained lower than mortality up to 2002. One cannot exclude the possibility that a similar trend may appear in other countries. Etiological studies are required to further explain this increase.